Rubber or other elastomeric profiles are known for making waterproof and/or airtight seals, for example, for use on automobile doors and refrigerator doors. Such elastomeric profiles are commonly provided in a closed-loop format, or of a discrete length, or in a continuous roll and often have at least one heat-formed or molded corner. Each elastomeric profile, or weatherstrip, is specifically designed and manufactured for each door type or each specific substrate to be sealed.
Commonly, the weatherstrips are attached to an opening to be sealed using mechanical interlocking techniques where the profile engages a groove or a lip in the door opening or on the door itself. Alternatively, the elastomeric profiles may be attached using other mechanical means such as pins. Elastomeric profiles may also be glued into place, and can be attached to a car door or door opening using pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes. Tapes especially suited for adhering rubber or other elastomeric profiles used as seals in automotive door or trunk opening are available from 3M Company (3M Deutschland GmbH in Neuss, Germany) Examples include a dual functional adhesive tape with a heat-activated adhesive on one side for bonding to the elastomeric profiles and a tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive on the other side for adhering the taped elastomeric profiles to a door opening, or a tape including a pressure-sensitive adhesive on each. The particular tape selected depends on the substrates to which the elastomeric profile is to be bonded.
Robotic end effector tooling is known for mechanically installing a closed-loop of weatherstrip to a lip surrounding a vehicle opening. One such device is taught in the published PCT application WO 2004/108459. One examples of such a device comprises means for feeding the weatherstrip to the end effector, a plurality of guide rollers to form the length of weatherstrip into a loop, and a plurality of arms for pressing the weatherstrip onto a lip of an opening. End effector tooling, or applicator heads, have also been disclosed that facilitate installation of adhesive based weatherstripping to a vehicle opening.